Sim Sex Cocktail
EDDIE DENNISON, GEORGE JOE’S, 1956
Edward “Eddie” Joseph Dennison (1908-1968), mixologist at Mah Jong Room in George Joe’s Chinese Village restaurant, was reported to have invented many exotic cocktails including the FBI Fizz, Widow’s Dream, The Lost Weekend, and Sim Sex. Dennison was a San Diego favorite who, over the years, tended bar for the downtown Elks Club, George Joe’s, Lafayette Hotel, Michael’s Supper Club, among others. In 1959, he opened his own place on El Cajon Boulevard called Eddie’s with partner Edward A Bia (The Courthouse La Jolla). Here’s a modernized version of Dennison’s simple, midcentury recipe for the Sim Sex cocktail.
1.5 ounces Appleton Estate Reserve rum
0.5 ounce fresh lime juice
Generous float of Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao
Use your favorite lightly aged, blended rum. We like Appleton Estate Reserve.
In a cocktail shaker combine rum, lime juice, and cubed ice. Shake and strain into a tall Zombie glass filled with crushed ice.
Float with Curaçao.
Garnish with a pineapple chunk, cherry, and cocktail parasol.
Enjoy!
Notes
Citation: Martin S. Lindsay. ‘Recipe: Sim Sex Cocktail from George Joe’s Mah Jong Room.’ Classic San Diego: tasty bites from the history of America’s finest city. Web. <https://classicsandiego.com/2019/11/recipe-sim-sex-cocktail-from-george-joes-mah-jong-room/>
“Edward Joseph Dennison,” biographical information comes from U.S. Federal Census, 1930, 1940; National Archives, ‘Edward Joseph Dennison,’ Selective Service Registration Cards, World War II: Fourth Registration, Records of the Selective Service System, Record Group Number 147, 16 Oct 1940; California, county records; and San Diego city directories, 1948-1965.
Note: Original recipes have been modified for modern home cooks. Photo and recipe, San Diego and Point Magazine, 1956.